For better adaptation to clinical work and scientific research as well as self-development,medical postgraduates are required to improve their reading ability to harvest information from medical English articles.Constructing formal schema based on linguistic schema and enriching content schema can significantly enhance medical English reading ability,according to schema theory and education practice.Therefore,the learning mode was explored based on schema theory and this theory was applied in practice to elevate reading ability by means of reading report.

The present study is aimed to investigate the early clinical effects of nano-hydroxyapatite/polyamide 66 intervertebral fusion cage (n-HA/PA66 cage) for the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases. We selected 27 patients with lumbar degenerative diseases who were managed by posterior decompression or reset operation combined with n-HA/PA66 cage intervertebral fusion and internal fixation from August 2010 to January 2012. The oswestry disability index (ODI), low back and leg pain visual analogue score (VAS), and intervertebral height (IH) were evaluated at preoperation, 1 week postoperation and the last follow-up period, respectively. Intervertebral bony fusion was evaluated at the last follow-up time. The patients were followed up for 12-24 months (averaged 19 months). The ODI, VAS and IH were significantly improved at 1 week postoperation and the last follow-up time compared with those at preoperative period (P < 0.05). But there was no significant difference between 1 week postoperative and the last follow-up time (P < 0.05). Brantigan's standard was used to evaluate fusion at the last follow-up time. There were 19 patients with grade 5 fusion, 8 with grade 4 fusion, with a fusion rate of 100%, and none with grade 1-3 fusions. There was no cage translocation and internal fixation breakage. These results suggested that n-HA/PA66 cage was an ideal biological material in the posterior lumbar interbody fusion and internal fixation operation for treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases. It can effectively maintain the intervertebral height and keep a high rate of bony fusion. The early clinical effect has been satisfactory.
Back ; Decompression, Surgical ; Durapatite ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Nanostructures ; Nylons ; Spinal Fusion ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the effects of different doses of remifentanil on learning and memory ability,the expression of hippocampal tissue phosphorylation of cAMP response element binding protein (p-CREB)in developing rats.Methods A total of 72 Sprague-Dawley rats (1 9-23 g) were randomly divided into 4 groups (n =18 each):Group C:normal saline control group;R1,R2, R3 group received continuous intraperitoneal remifentanil 1,5,10 μg·kg-1 ·min-1 for 2 hours re-spectively.Both total volume of remifentanil and saline were 2 ml.The SpO 2 and pulse rates were mo-nitored during the experiment.Step-down test was used to evaluate the learning and memory ability, while Western blot analysis was performed to measure the expression of hippocampal p-CREB protein in 4 h,24 h,1 week when the rats were awake.Results Compared with group C,group R1 and R2, pulse rates of group R3 decreased significantly (P <0.05 ),but the changes of SpO 2 in each group were not statistically significant.At 4 h point:compared with group C and group R1,the error times in step-down test were increased in both group R2 and R3,the latencies were shortened (P <0.05);Compared with group R2,the error times were increased in group R3,latency was shortened (P <0.05).At 24 h point,compared with group C and group R1,the error times were increased in group R2,R3,latencies were shortened (P < 0.05 );Compared with group R2,the error times were in-creased in group R3,latency was shortened (P <0.05 ).The error times and latency of each group had not statistical significance in one week.At 4 h point,the expression of p-CREB protein in hippo-campus of group R3 downregulated compared with group C and group R1,R2,respectively (P <0.05).At 24 h point,the expression of p-CREB protein in hippocampus of group R2,R3 decreased compared with group C and group R1 respectively(P <0.05);The expression of p-CREB protein in each group had no statistical significance in one week.Conclusion 5-10 μg · kg-1 · min-1 dose of remifentanil can result in a decline of learning and memory ability in the developing rats in short-term,and the mechanism may relate to the inhibition of p-CREB protein expression in hippocampus.

A bacterium strain BFHM2002 is isolated from Lake Donghu, Wuhan. BFHM2002 has advantages that it can produce melanin with a high rate and high yield in the absence of tyrosine. Induced by tyrosine, melanin yield can be dramatically increased. BFHM2002 may be identified as a new strain in Bacillus firmus, for melanin-production.

Objective To investigate the impact of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep on the rat brain.Methods Microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) and neurofilament (NF) were used as two neuronal cytoskeleton markers.The modified multiple platform method (MMPM) was used to deprived rats of sleep.The immunohistochemistry method and Western blot technique were used to detect the expression of MAP2 and NF,together with the electromicroscope study to show the neurodegeneration in rat cerebral cortex and hippocampus.Results The expression of MAP2 and NF in cerebral cortex and hippocampal neurons decreased after 5-day sleep deprivation.Some uhrastructural changes were seen in those areas as well,such as displacement of the nucleus,slightly swollen mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum,dissolution or condensation of sheaths of some axons.Neurons in cortex with degenerated ultrastrutrue accounted for 1.2% ,3.6% and 5.8% in tank control group,sleep deprivation 5 d group and sleep deprivation 7 d group respectively.Conclusion REM sleep deprivation can induce neurodegeneration in rat brain,but these morphological changes are tiny enough to be considered as reversible.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the importance of the specific structure of L-4F, an apolipoprotein A-1 mimetic, in inhibiting atherosclerosis. The study was designed to compare the effect of L-4F and scramble-4F (SC-4F) in preventing low density lipoprotein (LDL) induced endothelial cell dysfunction. L-4F and SC-4F has the same amino acids but different nucleotide sequence.

METHODSBovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) were incubated with single L-4F 10 microg/ml or SC-4F 10 microg/ml, or LDL 6.2 mmol/L in the absence or presence of L-4F 10 microg/ml or SC-4F 10 microg/ml for 24 h and assayed for (1) changes of superoxide anion (O2-*) generation in BAEC by superoxide dismutase (SOD)-inhibitable ferricytochrome C reduction, and (2) the production of nitric oxide (NO) in BAEC by ozone chemiluminescence with VCL3.

RESULTS(1) L-4F and SC-4F themselves had no affect on BAEC O2-* generation. (2) LDL significantly increased O2-* generation in BAEC and LDL-induced O2-* generation was inhibited by pretreatment of LDL with L-4F. However, pretreatment of LDL with SC-4F had no effect on inhibition of LDL-induced O2-* generation. (3) LDL significantly inhibited NO generation in BAEC and pretreatment of LDL with L-4F could inhibit LDL-induced decrease of NO generation, but pretreatment of LDL with SC-4F still inhibited NO generation in BAEC.

CONCLUSIONL-4F can prevent LDL induced endothelial cell dysfunction by maintaining the balance of NO and O2-*, but SC-4F doesn't. It suggests that the specific structure of L-4F may play a crucial role in preventing atherosclerosis and it may provide a new clue for searching a novel approach on prevention and therapeutics of atherosclerosis in the future.

Animals ; Atherosclerosis ; prevention & control ; Cattle ; Cells, Cultured ; Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; physiology ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Nitric Oxide ; biosynthesis ; Peptides ; pharmacology ; Superoxides ; metabolism

AIMTo investigate the influence of living high-training low for 4 weeks on serum CK, LDH and ALT of rowing athletes.

METHODS20 rowing athletes were divided into two groups: the one (ten subjects) spent 8-10 h per night in a tabernacle which was simulated altitude of 2 500 m in normobaric hypoxia (HiLo group), the another (ten subjects) slept at near sea level (control group). During the periods of test, all athletes were trained at the same relative or at the same intensity of work in normoxia state. The serum CK, LDH and ALT were measured at before, during 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 2 weeks after "living high and training low".

RESULTSBaseline serum values for CK, LDH and ALT were not different between two groups (P > 0.05). The levels of CK, LDH of HiLo group were significantly increased (P < 0.05) than those of control group at 3 rd week, however, it was contrary at 5th and 7th week. After exercise of 2 km and 5 km, the values of LDH and CK at a moment notice and 30min postexercise test in HiLo group were significant lower than those in control group.

CONCLUSIONThese results indicate that living high-training low may reduce the muscle damage associated with endurance exercise.

Adolescent ; Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Altitude ; Athletes ; Creatine Kinase ; blood ; Humans ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; blood ; Male ; Physical Education and Training ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo observe therapeutic effect of abdominal cluster-needling combined with sacro-iliac-needling on chronic pelvic inflammation.

METHODSOne hundred and ten cases of pelvic inflammation were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group. The treatment group of 70 cases were treated by abdominal cluster-needling combined with sacro-iliac-needling; the control group of 40 cases were treated by oral administration of Fuyankang tablet. Their therapeutic effects were compared.

RESULTSThe cured rate and the total effective rate were 75.7% and 97.1% in the treatment group, and 37.5% and 85.0% in the control group, respectively, with significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe therapeutic effect of abdominal cluster-needling combined with sacro-iliac-needling is significantly better than that in the control group for chronic pelvic inflammation.

Abdomen ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Inflammation

OBJECTIVETo observe the functional changes of dendritic cells (DCs) after infection by recombinant retrovirus carrying human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene fragment.

METHODSInterleukin-12 (IL-12) levels in DC culture supernatant was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The abilities of DCs infected with recombinant retrovirus carrying hTERT gene (hTERT-DCs) and non-infected DCs (N-DCs) to stimulate allogeneic lymphocyte proliferation were evaluated with mixed leukocytes reaction (MLR), and the surface markers of DCs including CD80, CD83, CD86 and HLA-DR were detected by flow cytometry. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) assay was performed with CytoTox 96 non-radioactive cytoxicity assay.

RESULTSCompared with N-DCs, hTERT-DCs showed no significant changes in IL-12 secretion and capacity to stimulate allogeneic lymphocytes reaction, but had significantly lower CD83 expression. Specific CTLs induced by hTERT-DCs resulted in higher cytotoxicity against telomerase-positive target cells than that against the negative target cells.

CONCLUSIONInfection with the recombinant retrovirus carrying hTERT fragment may jeopardize the maturation of DCs, which, however, still retain their capacity to activate and stimulate lymphocyte proliferation and to prime autologous T lymphocytes to generate specific CTL against hTERT.

Cells, Cultured ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; immunology ; virology ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Interleukin-12 ; biosynthesis ; Recombination, Genetic ; Retroviridae ; genetics ; metabolism ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; immunology ; Telomerase ; biosynthesis ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo establish a primary culture method of rat testis Leydig cell.

METHODSThe primary rat Leydig cells were treated with or without 4 U/ml human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and testosterone in culture medium was detected by radioimmunoassay. The morphology and biological characteristics of Leydig cell were observed.

RESULTSThe culture cells were highly homogeneous, proliferative and had a high differentiation rate. The high purified Leydig cells were verified by their dynamic morphological changes and 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase delta4-delta5 isomerase (3beta-HSD) histochemical staining. The testosterone secretion induced by hCG significantly increased (P < 0.05) 24 hours after inoculation than that induced without hCG in the control.

CONCLUSIONIt suggests that the Leydig cell cultured in vitro may secrete high concentration of testosterone, and this study laid the basis of androgen replacement therapy for partial androgen deficiency in aging male.

3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases ; Animals ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cells, Cultured ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Leydig Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; secretion ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Testis ; cytology ; drug effects ; Testosterone ; metabolism